Rise of the Goblin Queen
by destinypen
Summary: After his defeat at Sarah's, Jareth had fallen into a deep slumber. He had given Sarah his heart, and she had rejected it. The consequences of his desperate action, and her ignorance, resulted in the loss of his heart, his power, and the Goblin King's Fall. Sarah's daughter, Lily, has dreamt of the Labyrinth her entire life. What is the connection? Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

-1-

Sarah dreamt often of her time in the Labyrinth, ever since she beat the Goblin King, but one dream recurred often, and left her confused. The final moments, replaying over and over again. His fall after her final words, that crystal ball he offered bursting in her palm like a bubble, the sparkling remnants glowing, fading into her hand. She knew it mean something, but what? Over the years, that one dream persisted over any other, never changing.

But, she moved on with her life. She went on to college, earned a degree in theater arts, and even cosmetology. She moved to New York, working Broadway theater, meeting and falling in love with her fiancée, Jeff, a music director. Tragedy struck in the form of a stage collapse, taking away Jeff just a few weeks before their wedding. A blessing came, the surprise pregnancy discovered in the aftermath of her loss. She named her daughter Lily.

After his defeat, Jareth had fallen into a deep slumber. He had given Sarah his heart, and she had rejected it. The consequences of his desperate action, and her ignorance, resulted in the loss of his heart, his power, and the Goblin King's Fall. The Labyrinth, once under his control, now took him, placing him in a slumber deep inside, until his heart and his power could be returned. The Goblin Kingdom fell into chaos, no one daring to enter the Labyrinth anymore.

Sarah watched Lily poke around the dressing room, singing to herself. Her child was lucky, she was growing up surrounded by theater. Lily loved the costumes, the makeup, and she loved to sing and dance most of all. Lily had a natural talent for dancing, and many of the dancers had taken to teaching her things. She was learning ballet, modern dance, jazz, and many more. 6 years old, and she was already so very graceful. Her voice was so beautiful, combined with a sharp memory, the director was already discussing the possibility of putting her into shows in another couple of years. Sarah smiled a bittersweet smile, grabbing her purse. "Time to head home, kiddo. You have school tomorrow, and we gotta feed Hogwart."

"His name's HOGGLE, mom. A name from your favorite book, and you can't ever get it right." Lily corrected her, her little hand on her hip. She looked so adorable, it was no wonder she captured the hearts of everyone around her. She had long curly black hair, the ringlets usually wild all over her head because she hated having it brushed. She had an angelic little face, with pouty little red lips that formed a perfect quivering lip when she really wanted something.

And her eyes, her eyes always unsettled even Sarah. They were 2 different colors. Pale green on the left, and dark brown on the right. The mirror opposite of... _him._ Sarah had always hoped it was just a dream, but her daughter's eyes, and some of the stories she made up, made her seriously second guess it. Was her dream of the Labyrinth and its villainous King just a dream, or was it real? If it was real, was she affected in some way she didn't know by her experience? Did is somehow bleed down to her daughter?

Sarah chuckled, rolling her eyes at her little Lily. "Whatever. Let's get going. If you can eat all your dinner tonight, I'll read you MY book for bedtime." Lily jumped up and down excitedly. It may have been her mother's favorite book, but Lily had discovered it a year before, just as she was learning to read, and had instantly become infatuated with it. She said the Labyrinth reminded her of her dreams, but the addition of goblins made the book better than her dreams. "Ok mommy, let's go!" Sarah smiled, letting out a sigh. Lily was all she had to keep her going these days, and still, she worried for her. What if dreams were more than just dreams?

Sarah cuddled Lily as she read to her, smiling when she nodded off. She lay with her for a few minutes, making sure she was completely out before getting up. She stroked her head softly, before heading back to the living room to put the book away before making her way to her own bed.

Chapter 2 will be coming soon. Please review, I am new to writing and have wanted to try my hand at it for years. My imagination has run wild for FAR too long. :)


	2. Chapter 2

-2-

Lily plopped into a chair in her dressing room. Her 19th birthday was looming up in a couple of months, and it was getting harder to keep up her spirits. Her mother had passed away almost two years ago, just a week before her birthday. Thankfully, she was never really alone, growing up essentially in the theater, she had many close friends who may as well have been family. They had watched her grow, taught her to sing and dance, listened to her stories. Performing had been an essential part of her life, and after losing her mother, she threw herself into working as much as she could. All her spare time was devoted to doing something, whether it was rehearsing one of her roles, painting backdrops, repairing or altering costumes, anything. She went to bed most nights, exhausted, falling into her familiar dreams of the Labyrinth.

The Labyrinth was her one place of solitude. It was magical, filled with every fairy creature she had read of. Fairies, sprites, nymphs, fauns, brownies, even the occasional Unicorn. She stayed in her dreams as long as she could. One morning, after a rather unusual and mysterious dream and a particularly trying day of rehearsal beforehand, she awoke with words whispering from her lips. "I wish I was in my Labyrinth instead of here. Right now." Lily had the sudden sensation of falling.

Landing on her butt rather ungracefully, Lily blinked in the bright sunlight, completely confused. "Am I dreaming again?" Pinching herself and hissing at the pain, she shook her head. "This can't be real. It's always been just a dream. HOW is it real?" She stared in awe at the outside wall of the Labyrinth. _Her_ Labyrinth.

She stood up, dusting herself off and checking for injuries. She hadn't bothered changing from her dress rehearsal last night, and had just dropped into her bed and went to sleep. She was still wearing her 'Lady Pirate' costume. A brown skirt, ankle length in the back, above the knees in the front, with a red sash tied around her waist; black knee high leather boots; a flowy cream colored low-cut poet's shirt, and a black leather waist cincher. She still had all her costume jewelry on, rings on every finger, giant silver hoops in her ears, and a few silver chains on her neck. She even still had her fencing sword tied around her waist. She let out a weak laugh. "I must have been really tired last night. Well, could be worse, I could be here in my underwear..." She shook her head, her wild mane of curls thankfully still held back under a red scarf. "I can't believe this. I need to wake up."

Lily made her way towards the Labyrinth wall, seeing a gate open as soon as she got close. "Well now, what do we have here?" came a wizened voice. Lily jumped slightly, and turned, seeing a short old man with a rather large head looking at her. "Nobody's been able to gets into the Labyrinth for more than 25 years. Not since the champion defeated King Jareth, anyways. It's cursed now. Who are you?"

Lily's eyes widened in shock, "I'm Lily. Lily Williams. King Jareth, the Goblin King? He's…..real? And there's a curse?"

"Uh, yeah. His Majesty is very real. Well, I'm Hoggle. The Labyrinth has closed itself up tight for years, but opens up as soon as you walk up. You must fit into the prophecy." Hoggle eyed her curiously, her eyes were making him nervous. He'd only seen eyes like hers once, and it seemed too coincidental. Not to mention how much she resembled _her_.

Lily looked through the open gate. "Well, yeah. I've been dreaming of this place my whole life, running and dancing and playing through the maze. I feel…. Pulled… Like, this is… Home…. What prophecy?" She began to walk towards the gates, which seemed all too inviting..

"_The king's lost heart and power,_

_can only be returned,_

_by a kiss from the flower." _Hoggle spoke the words in, what he thought, was a mysterious voice, complete with wiggling fingers, earning a giggle from Lily. "At least, that's what appeared engraved all over various places outside the Labyrinth when it locked itself up. Anyone unlucky enough to be inside got locked in, and nobody has gotten in or out. You think you can figure that out, Miss _Lily_?" He stressed her name, and raised an eyebrow at her.

"No. Yes. Well, I don't know. I don't have anything that could be a 'King's Heart' and I sure don't have any power. I am so confused, and I have so many questions, but I feel like the answers are all in there." Lily turned and smiled at him, and waved. "Maybe I'll see you later, Hoggle. Nice meeting you." She walked quickly into the Labyrinth, and the gates closed quickly behind her.

Hoggle stared at her, his mouth agape. He felt dumbstruck. The girl was pretty, _very_ pretty, and showed no fear as she walked into the labyrinth. She said she'd dreamed of it her whole life. She had eyes that mirrored Jareth's. The Labyrinth _opened_ for her. What the heck was going on? Things have gotten strange and crazy over the last two and a half decades, but he still hadn't remotely expected to see anything like this today, nor have so many questions running through his head. Shaking his head, he began walking back to his fairy sprayer. Break time was over, time to get back to work. The Fairy population had exploded over the years, and it was a struggle to keep up.

Once inside the Labyrinth, the door slammed shut behind her, making Lily jump. "Ok then…. Now, which way should I go?" The tapped her finger on her lips lightly, thinking about her dreams. She had run through so many parts of the Labyrinth, she shouldn't have too much trouble navigating. She went left, humming to herself. She couldn't help but feel excited. Turning through a hidden entrance, she found herself beginning to skip, the further she traveled. She continued to mull over Hoggle's words as she skipped along, not noticing the slow darkening of the sky or the very slowly cooling

Little did Lily realize, the slamming shut of the doors signified a change. She was trapped within the labyrinth until she figured out the 'prophecy' Hoggle had told her about. As was King Jareth, who had finally awaken from his long, and dreamless, slumber. Problem was, he woke up angry. _Very_ angry. He was now heartless, and essentially powerless, Goblin King. His memories of Sarah defeating him, losing his heart, were fresh, as if they just happened.

Jareth was still connected to the Labyrinth though, and so could sense everything around him through it. He closed his eyes, feeling through and seeing every creature inside. He stopped when he came across someone who _didn't_ belong. She strongly resembled _her_, the one he felt an overwhelming anger and hatred for, but she looked so very different at the same time. Her hair, which was long and dark like Sarah's, was a mass of large ringlets, somewhat wild, and several shades darker so as to be essentially black. She was slightly shorter than Sarah, and _much_ curvier, with her wide hips, narrow waist, and amble chest. Jareth found himself smiling as he thought about that. That might be a nice distraction after his long sleep, he mused.

When he finally observed her face, he felt a little shock, followed by confusion. Her eyes were a mirror of his. His anger spiked for a second, before being tamped down by intrigue. Those eyes were a mark of power. _His_ power. How did _this_ girl get it? "How wonderful, I get to play a game with a new toy already." Jareth's smile turned predatory as he opened his eyes. This girl had his power. All he had to do was get it back. Since he was still connected to the Labyrinth, he could use the power there to start a little game. This game would have no mercy.


	3. Chapter 3

-3-

As Lily was skipping along, an odd thought struck her. _I feel like I've come home._ She paused for a second, her smile fading. She hadn't felt this lighthearted since her mother had died. She'd only been here for a half hour or so, and she already had no thought of going back. She was so lost in thought, she jumped when she noticed a white owl perched on the ground in front of her.

"How beautiful! Where did you come from?" She crouched down, inspecting the owl closer as it ruffled its feathers a bit and hooted at her. It hopped a little bit away, and looked back at her with another hoot. She chuckled slightly. "You want me to follow you?" The owl seemed to let out a satisfied hoot, and took flight down the stone corridor. Lily stood, and shook her head. "Wonder where it's taking me," she said to herself as she began jogging behind it.

Jareth couldn't believe how easy it was to lead her. "So naïve, so very naïve," he thought to himself, smiling in his head. He was able to draw off the power of the Labyrinth, and it made him feel less like powerless by using his owl form. He wanted to observe her a little bit closer, learn a bit about her before settling on a more direct course of action. Although, he had to create and use an owl body, leaving his actual body behind.

A sudden voice in his head startled him. _"The King's lost heart and power, can only be returned by a kiss from the flower." _The voice was neither male nor female, and both loud and whispering at the same time. Losing his concentration over the voice, he clipped his wing off a jagged stone, sending him tumbling to the ground rather painfully. He let out an angry hoot, and tested his wing after getting his feet under him. He felt a shock of pain as he tried to extend it. Apparently, the Labyrinth's power was not going to heal him as his own power would. Yet another frustration. He narrowed his eyes in irritation. This was not exactly going as planned. Leading the girl to his body will be much slower going if he couldn't fly.

Lily let out a squeak when she saw the owl crash. She went from a jog to a run to close the gap, scooping him up. "Oh poor thing, are you ok?" She cradled him to her chest, looking him over and carefully dusting him off. _Funny_, she thought_, the dust was very glittery around here_. The owl turned and gave her a hoot, it's eyes narrowed as it tried to stretch its injured wing. Lily noticed a bit of blood on the joint, and she sat down, carefully keeping the owl in her lap as she inspected the injury. There was very little blood, and a missing feather or two, so it seemed to only be a surface scratch. It was also very likely bruised, but nothing seemed broken.

She looked at the owl, and sighed. "Well, the only thing I could do is what my mom used to do when I got hurt as I was a kid. I could kiss it and try to make it better," she said, laughing as the owl narrowed its eyes at her again. It hooted and held its wing closer to her face, making her laugh again. "Ok, ok, if it'll make you feel better." Lily smiled, and leaned down, placing a little peck onto the owl's injured wing joint. She let out a gasp when she saw a glow where her lips had touched, the wound closing and the missing feathers growing back. The owl hooted in surprise, and looked back and forth between her and its wing.

"Well, little owl, you seem to be rather intelligent. You're acting more like a child than an animal…. My name's Lily. What should I call you?" She thought for a moment, thinking of the stories her mother used to tell her, and of the many dreams she had.

Jareth had only held his wing insistently out to her face out of spite. He was feeling irritated at being injured, at being so easily distracted, at being clumsy, and at being held against her… chest. And her rather plush and soft bosom. When she had kissed his wing, his irritation was replaced with surprise. He felt his magic, briefly, but it was there, in her kiss. _It healed me_, he thought. He looked back and forth between his now healed wing, and her face, an idea forming in his head. He realized she was talking to him, and began paying attention in time to hear, "… My name's Lily. What should I call you?" He stared at her, feeling smug. _The flower…._

"Hmm… The Goblin King could take the shape of an owl. Maybe I should call you Jareth?" She looked down at the owl, which gave her an excited and happy hoot. Jareth was finding himself pleased. His plan had changed, but the new one was much better. She 'named' him, not having any idea how accurate she was. He hooted again, and took flight again, turning around a corner.

Lily laughed at the owl's excitement over his name as he took off again, flying around a corner. More and more, the feeling was hitting her that she was where she belonged. She stood up, heading off after the Jareth the owl in a jog, thinking to herself. _I seem to have some magic here. This could be interesting. I wonder what else I could do?_

She followed Jareth for what seemed like an hour, silently thanking her athletic dancer's stamina to keep up. Turning one last corner, she came to a sudden stop. She was in a wide courtyard, a few trees and statues dotting the area. In the middle, there was an ivy-covered stone dais with 5 steps leading to a throne on it. In the throne, was a man, apparently sleeping, with the owl perched on top. Lily stepped closer, and noticed there was an engraving on the top three steps of the dais, which weren't covered in ivy.

_The King's lost heart and power, _

_Can only be returned,_

_By a kiss from the flower._

She whispered the words softly as she read them. That was what Hoggle had told her about outside the gates. She looked up at the sleeping man, pondering the riddle. The man was beautiful. He had a man of unruly blonde hair, a lean and lithe dancer's body clad in white pants that fit as a second skin; A white poet's shirt, ruffled and opened at the chest, revealing a crescent-shaped pendant hanging against his sternum, almost like a moon on its side. His hands were hidden in while gloves, and he also appeared to be wearing a cloak made of white fur and feathers. His eyebrows swept up at the edges, markings on his eyelids following the flow of his brows. Her mother's description of the Goblin King, when she defeated him, came to mind. He was so very beautiful. Although, even in sleep, he looked imposing, powerful, even dangerous.

Lily glanced up to where the owl was perched, and it was gone. She looked around a bit more, and could not see where it had gone. She looked back at the sleeping man, and a sudden thought occurred to her. "A kiss from the flower, huh? Well, Lily, let's give it a shot…." She bit her lip as she walked up the last couple of steps. She'd kissed plenty of times on stage for performances with no problem, but for some reason, kissing this sleeping man made her heart rate elevate and her stomach do flips. She took a deep breath, and leaned forward, feeling a tug at her heart as she looked at him closer. He was so inhumanly beautiful. She closed her eyes as her lips touched his, the butterflies in her stomach going wild.

Jareth fought to control his smirk that was threatening to give away the fact he wasn't sleeping. Lily was falling for it, and he would have his power back in another few seconds. He felt her lips press against his, and he felt an electric shock, followed by heat from the contact. He cracked his eyes open, and, seeing her eyes were closed, he reached up with one hand and grabbed the back of her head, holding her in place as he deepened the kiss, his other hand capturing one of her wrists. Lily jumped and tried to pull away, her eyes opening in astonishment. Jareth grinned against her lips, not allowing the contact to break, and teased her mouth open with his tongue. He let his eyes drift closed as he felt her relax, surrendering to the kiss with a small moan. Initially, he had just wanted the kiss to get his power back, but he found himself enjoying it immensely. He pulled her into his lap, still not breaking the kiss, relishing the feel of her tongue against his, the feel of his power flooding back into his body.

Lily was shocked when she felt his hands grab her, and tried to pull back. When she opened her eyes and made eye contact with him, she felt electrified. His eyes were a mirror of hers. One blue, one brown. But, the pupil of his brown eye began to dilate as she kissed him. The kiss felt electrified and heated, and she couldn't help but open her mouth to his tongue when she felt it against her mouth, letting out a small moan as she tasted him. It felt so good, and she let her eyes drift shut at the pleasure. How could a kiss feel so… Magical? She was vaguely aware he had tugged her into his lap, but she didn't care. As long as he kept kissing her, she just didn't care.

Jareth finally broke the kiss when the electric sparks died down. The power transfer was complete. Although, he was so very tempted to continue kissing her, it was a very pleasant experience. She had completely surrendered to the kiss, far easier than he had anticipated. He looked down into her face, a lascivious smile spreading across his face. Her lips were so very plump and kissable. He let his eyes roam for a fleeting second, taking in the form of the girl in his arms. Her chest was heaving, and she seemed to be in a daze.

"Thank you, sweet flower, for returning my power."

Lily shook her head clear of her daze, and began to blush profusely. She was still sitting in his lap, and staring at him like a lovestruck teenager. She scrambled out of his lap, and stumbled down the steps, earning herself a loud laugh from Jareth.

"I am King Jareth, little flower," He stated, standing from the throne and sweeping down the stairs after her. He felt so refreshed, renewed, invigorated. "You have earned one wish from me, as my thanks. But, you cannot ask it until you reach my castle." Jareth beckoned towards the center of the labyrinth, looking down at her with a wicked grin.

Lily looked up at him, still in shock. _I feel like that was a total Sleeping Beauty moment, and I made an ass of myself… He's so tall…. _Her mind went blank for a second, and she shook her head vigorously and cleared her throat. "You're the Goblin King?" her voice cracked, and she silently cursed herself. Lily suddenly felt intimidated as he stepped closer, towering over her. The way he was looking at her almost made her feel afraid. Almost.

"Yes I am, my little flower. Now, since you _are_ in my labyrinth, you must finish it. Find your way to my castle, beat my game. And you may have one wish." Jareth faded away as he finished his sentence.

Lily watched him fade and disappear, and heard his voice one more time after he vanished, echoing through the courtyard. "Oh, and flower, you only have 13 hours to find your way. " Lily felt herself inhale sharply, unaware she had been holding her breath. She got the impression that things just got complicated, and so very difficult. Lily looked at the words engraved onto the steps again, and had a funny feeling. Stepping back towards the dais, she cleared the ivy off of the bottom two steps, revealing more to the engraving:

_But the power will burn and consume,_

_If the heart of the flower is spurned._

She had to find her way to the castle, huh? Better get moving then. She didn't notice the owl perched in the tree nearest her, watching her closely. Jareth the owl followed behind her, quietly.

Hoggle jumped when the Labyrinth gates swing open for a second time in less than 3 hours. What was that girl up to? He felt a bit conflicted, something about the girl so strongly made him think of Sarah, but he was still a coward. He had been feeling guilty ever since she walked into the labyrinth, and finally, worry overtook his sense of self-preservation, and he settled on entering. 25 years, and he had no idea what to expect in here anymore, but he was certain the little lady would need help. Sarah was his friend, and even though he hadn't spoken to her since the night she defeated the Rat, but he felt a little better by doing something that would make her proud. He would help Lily, any way he could. Squaring his shoulders, he walked through the gates, which did _not _swing shut behind him.


	4. Intermission

Sorry I haven't updated, the last week has been VERY hectic, what with finishing up cosplays for Katsucon. I have spent the last couple days catching up on housework/recuperating, and I should hopefully have a new chapter up within the next 2 days or so!

Thanks to:

FromHellWithLove

Jetredgirl

Elena Maxwell

For your wonderful feedback, it's encouraging :) And yes, I DO know that Jareth (David Bowie) does NOT have 2 different colored eyes, but 2 different dialated pupils, but I liked the concept for my story. Thanks again, guys, and I hope you enjoy what I have planned!


	5. Chapter 4

SORRY I took so long to update! Finally got things settled down, and I will do my best to continue to update every couple of days. And just so everyone knows, I only have a vague idea of where I am going with this story, the story is kind of writing itself! :)

* * *

Lily felt almost uncomfortable at how easy and uneventful things were. She had been walking for another hour, and nothing had happened. She remembered her mother's stories, of the traps, the creatures, everything that tried to make her task difficult, and other than her *ahem* steamy kiss with a rather attractive Goblin King, there was nothing else. The silence was starting to get to her, and she began humming as she walked, beginning to lose herself in her thoughts. She didn't even notice the white owl land in front of her until it gave a loud hoot, startling her.

Lily laughed at herself, and shook her head. She eyed the owl cautiously. "You startled me, Jareth. Where'd you come from? Here to cause some mischief?"

* * *

Jareth gazed intently at the crystal in his hand. Lily was talking to the owl body he had created with the Labyrinth's power. He frowned, feeling uneasy. When he got his power back, the body should have vanished. The owl had served its purpose. He had no connection to it since he pulled his mind back into his own body. How was it still there? And why was it with _her_? It should have vanished when he had no more use of it. Suddenly, the owl turned its head, and looked straight at the crystal, as if it could _see_ him watching, and the image blinked out. Jareth stared at the crystal for a few seconds, shocked. What just happened?

* * *

Lily watched as the owl twisted its head to the side quickly, as if it saw something, and then turn slowly back to her. "_Hello, Lily." _Lily jumped at the voice in her head. "What?!"

"_I said Hello." _The owl hooted after that, and Lily looked around, an eyebrow quirked, convinced the Goblin King was messing with her. "Is that you in my head?"

"Hoot."

"Well, Hello back, I guess. Aren't you supposed to be in your castle, plotting traps and puzzles to prevent me from solving your labyrinth?" Lily put her hands on her hips, eyeing the owl curiously. What was the mischievous King up to now?

"_The castle belongs to the Goblin King. Jareth may have created this body, but he used my power to do so. Since it was left empty, I finally have a vessel to communicate with. Conveniently, having a vessel for communication coincides with the arrival of the flower." _The owl cocked its head at Lily as it spoke.

"So, if you're not Jareth, who, or what, are you?" The owl hooted, sounding almost like laughter, and shook itself.

"_Well, I guess you could call me the voice of the Labyrinth's consciousness. Jareth has been under a curse, and it has become your fate to break the curse. But, this curse has 2 endings. One will result in a positive outcome for all, and the other will result in the complete destruction of the Goblin Kingdom and its King. Jareth is the ultimate determination of which will come to pass, but your task is to guide him."_

Lily felt confused. "What do you mean, it has _become_ my fate?"

"_Your mother, Sarah, is the only creature to have ever defeated myself. But, Jareth was a fool. Defeating me is something that was inevitable for her, she had a pure and determined heart. Jareth had become fascinated with your mother, and believed himself in love with her. Just before she bested me, he gave her his heart. When a Fae gives their heart, the magic they wield becomes shared with their chosen mate. This is a dangerous thing, because unless the recipient gives their heart in return, the Fae will lose their magic and become cursed, because their magic is tied to their heart. This is what happened to Jareth. Your mother didn't love him. She had a childish fascination with him, but she was too young to handle the burden of his heart, and so was ignorant to what he was truly offering her. He acted on impulse. Because your mother never returned to the underground, much less returned his heart, his heart fused with yours the moment you were conceived. Your heart IS his heart. YOU have had his power, until you kissed him, the touch of your lips creating a connection that allowed his power to flow back into him, and breaking his connection to the Labyrinth. But, because you still have his heart, you still the power tied to me. He cannot control or influence me, as much as he thinks he still can. You still have the power over the labyrinth."_

Lily listened to the owl, sitting down slowly as it spoke in her head. This was a lot to take in. "So, why are you telling me all this? What am I supposed to do?" Her head felt a bit dizzy with everything. She had felt nothing but peace since she found herself here, as if she found where she had always belonged. She hadn't given much thought as to how she had really gotten here, what it meant, and all of these revelations seemed like it was too much, too complicated.

"_You will find yourself outside the gates of the Goblin City soon enough, and you must figure things out from there. I cannot tell you what you must do, I can only explain how things are currently. Your heart is the source of his power. As he uses his magic, he will drain, and need to recharge from you. He has not figured it out yet, but the more he drains himself, the more he recharges himself, the more damage he will do to himself. Magic will burn a vessel without a heart, eventually destroying it. And the longer he goes without a heart, the more cruel he will become."_

"So, I would need to give him my heart….. I don't know how to do that…. My mom always said, things are never what they seem, and that somehow seems fitting here." Lily stared at a brick on the ground, lost in thought. "So, Mr. Goblin King doesn't understand what is going on. I have to save him from himself, somehow… Maybe if I talk to him about it?"

"_You will find yourself completely unable to discuss the curse with him. It's the nature of the curse. I can see inside your head, as well, sweet flower, and I have confidence you will figure out what to do." _

Lily stood up, sighing. This was her dream place, the place where she was supposed to be at peace, carefree, not a place where she would have to complete a magical quest to she couldn't talk about to save a king who was too damned sexy and mischievous for his own good. "Well, I'll give it my best shot, I guess. I have a feeling things are just going to get more and more complicated, quickly. Since you aren't Jareth, what should I call you?"

"_Well, I don't really have a name. Perhaps, you can choose one for me?" _The owl hooted and cocked its head at her, giving her a curious look.

Lily cocked her head in thought, and then her eyes lit up. "How about Bubo? He was a robotic Owl created by the Greek god Hephaestus to aid Perseus in his quest."

"_That sounds fitting." _Bubo hooted again, sounding happy. "_Thank you. I must go and fetch someone for you before I lead you to the castle. You will need an ally for your trials ahead, for I can only offer so much assistance." _With that, Bubo flapped up and over the walls, disappearing from sight quickly. Lily let out a loud sigh. "I have a feeling I am in way over my head." She sat down again, removing her boots and stretching her toes while she waited for the owl's return.

* * *

Hoggle grumbled and muttered as he walked, feeling uneasy. The Labyrinth was eerily quiet, no shifting walls or traps springing. Something felt off. "That rat must be waiting for me to lower my guard before dropping me into an oubliette or the bog…." He screeched and about jumped out of his skin when an owl landed right in front of him.

"Your Majesty! What can I do for you, sire?" Swallowing nervously, his unease rose higher when the bird just shook itself at him, hooting. He began hopping down the corridor to his right, pausing only to turn its head back and hoot again. "Ye… Ye want me to follows ya?" The owl hooted yet again, and continued hopping around the next corner. Hoggle gulped his fear down, swearing to himself that he wasn't going to be _too_ much of a coward. His Majesty had remained in his owl form, for some strange reason. "Well, things are bound to be different with the Labyrinth sleeping for 25 years," he grumbled, wringing his hands as he cautiously followed the owl.


End file.
